Falling for the Nanny

by Jacqueline Diamond

  With a grumble and a scowl, she took up a post on the opposite side of the steps from Alec, nearly out of flower-grabbing range.

  Bailey didn’t appear to have much of a chance, pitted against several tall women, including an obstetrician whom Alec had heard might be moving her practice to Safe Harbor to work with Dr. Tartikoff. Still, the nurse grinned at him gaily.

  Cheers and applause erupted when the bride emerged into the fading daylight. “Everybody ready?”

  “Ready as we’ll ever be!” Bailey shouted.

  The bride faced away from the guests and launched the mass of pink, purple and silver backward into the air. To Alec, it seemed to hang for a moment before choosing a trajectory straight toward Patty.

  She gaped at it, laced her fingers together and swung, whacking it neatly into Bailey’s waiting arms. Joking cries of “No fair!” and “What’re you afraid of, Patty?” filled the air.

  Nora whirled. “What happened?”

  “Your maid of honor used it for batting practice,” Leo said from his position next to his bride.

  Bailey waved the trophy aloft. “I caught it!”

  “And welcome to it.” Patty dusted off her hands.

  Amid smiles and congratulations to the bridal couple and the bouquet-winning nurse, the guests dispersed. Alec walked Bailey to her car. “I’ll follow you home to make sure you arrive safely.”

  “Heck, no! Now that I have the bouquet, I might meet my true love any minute. Maybe some handsome officer will give me a ticket,” she teased. “If it works, I’ll lend it to you next.”

  “If it works, you should preserve it,” he countered. “Thanks for bringing me.”

  “My pleasure.”

  When he reached his SUV, Alec saw Patty’s car still in place. He supposed he ought to get behind the wheel and drive off, but after watching her buoyant spirits at the party, he missed his old friend. Until now, he hadn’t realized exactly how much joy had gone out of his life on that long-ago day when he’d said goodbye to Patty and to part of himself.

  Besides, he’d resolved to talk to her about Fiona. So, focusing on his perfectly good reasons for sticking around, he leaned against the car and waited.

  Chapter Seven

  Patty should have known she’d take her share of ribbing over the knocking-away-the-bouquet incident, but she hadn’t expected everybody and his brother to get in on the action.

  Mike said, “You could have hit it a little harder. I think there were a few petals still attached.”

  Bill Sanchez said, “You know, some girls like flowers.” Then, eyeing her tux, he added, “Did anyone ever mention that you are a girl?”

  Captain Reed dodged past her on the steps, playfully putting up his hands as if expecting her to give him a whack, too.

  Leo said, “Getting married is great once you find the right person. Really, Patty.” Of course, he could be excused for sappy sentimentality, seeing as it was his wedding day.

  Patty was glad most of them didn’t know her history with Alec, because if anyone had brought that up, no telling what she might have done.

  Besides, no matter how cute he was, she’d come to terms with their breakup. His parents had lowered the boom, and he’d caved in. Maybe, as her grandfather had said, that made him unworthy of her, but she understood how important his education was.

  Since then, they’d both moved on. She had only one major regret.

  She wished they’d gone to bed together.

  Not that she was sex-starved. A woman had no lack of opportunities in that department, especially when she worked in a macho environment as Patty had for years. But while she’d had a few affairs, the sex had always fallen short of spectacular.

  Since Patty didn’t believe the entire world was lying to her about the joys of sex, she assumed that either she lacked a certain key trait, kind of like being color-blind, or she hadn’t done it with the right guy. At this point, she was well past wanting to do it with Alec, in theory at least, but she couldn’t help wishing they’d tried. Because if any man was likely to light her fire, it would have been him.

  Then at least she’d know what she was missing, or that she had some defect and wasn’t missing anything. Without the fireworks, she didn’t see much point in catching bouquets or putting on girlie clothes. Or in wearing some guy’s ring and listening to him complain about her weird work hours and slugfests with felons.

  Finally, the bride and groom descended the steps in a shower of birdseed—Californians were nothing if not environmentally correct—and rode off in a limo covered in flowers. Patty was free to enjoy the rest of her weekend. Breaking into her natural long stride, she cut across the parking lot and around the corner.

  There he stood. Alec Denny. Alone. Watching her with a half smile that riveted Patty’s attention on his mouth.

  If he was such a great kisser, didn’t it logically follow that he’d also be great at other things? With him divorced and her single, was it really out of the question…?

  Yes.

  “Thanks, but I don’t need help changing.” She unlocked her car. “I’ll wear my tux home.”

  A glimpse of white teeth and the cleft in his cheek did funny things to her nervous system. Until the last few days, Patty had almost forgotten she had a nervous system.

  “I hope I didn’t put you in an awkward position with your boss.” Alec’s velvety voice made it hard to concentrate on his words.

  Oh, yeah, the security gig. “Why do you need me? Mike’s got more experience.”

  “My daughter likes you.”

  She’d been kind of hoping Alec liked her, she realized to her embarrassment. Then the fact registered that this security business concerned Fiona. “Is she in some kind of danger?” Patty hated to think of anyone hurting a kid, and for some reason she felt an unusually powerful surge of protectiveness toward this one.

  “Possibly. It concerns my ex-wife.” Despite the sunlight, his brown eyes darkened.

  “Custody issues? They can get touchy.” Patty had once taken down an estranged husband the size of a sumo wrestler when he’d tried to snatch his kids in violation of a judge’s order. She wouldn’t care to try that again; her shoulders and arms had ached for days. Lucky thing Alec hadn’t married a sumo wrestler.

  “A judge granted me full custody after Sabrina left her alone in a car for over an hour.” He swallowed hard at the memory.

  Every year, several dozen children across the country died from heat exhaustion after being left in vehicles, sometimes for less than an hour. Under California law, it was a crime to leave a child under six alone in a vehicle under unsafe conditions, which, in Patty’s opinion, meant any time longer than it took to run into a house and grab a forgotten lunch box. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Sabrina’s always been high-strung, but over the years she became increasingly self-centered and unstable.”

  That fit with what Fiona had said, or rather, with what she’d quoted her grandmother as saying. Patty hadn’t been sure whether to trust the elder Mrs. Denny’s assessment, until now. “I’d call that criminally negligent.”

  Alec blew out a long breath. “I felt responsible, even though it was a judge’s decision to give her temporary custody. I should have fought harder. By some miracle, Fiona apparently slept through the whole thing, and the car was parked in an underground lot so it didn’t heat up, but we were just lucky. The problem is, when Sabrina wants something, nothing else seems to matter.”

  Hence the current interest in security, apparently. “What’s she up to now?”

  “She threatened to snatch our daughter. At this point, I don’t know how seriously to take it, but you can see why I’m concerned.”

  “Have you filed a report with the police? You should. For future reference if nothing else.” The police might not be able to take immediate action, but that would put them on the alert in case of further developments.

  “Fine. But I need more than that.”

  “Then Mike’s the right
guy for the job.”

  “And you’re the right woman.” Alec caught her hands. Instinctively, Patty noted the strength in his grip, despite his gentleness. Those were skilled hands, precise and controlled as they massaged hers gently. One of her former boyfriends had given her a whole body massage that hadn’t made her as tingly as this did. “Sabrina threatened to take her out of the country. She’s engaged to a guy from Argentina.”

  That raised the stakes. Reluctantly, Patty extricated her hands so she could think straight. “If she mentioned taking Fiona out of the country, that’s more than a vague threat.”

  “How about if we continue this discussion at my place?” Alec asked. “The nanny went shopping and Fiona is at her grandmother’s. You could take a look around to prepare your security recommendations.”

  And we’d be alone.

  Oh, come on, Patty chided herself. She’d never backed away from a difficult situation, and maintaining her professional distance around Alec was nothing if not a challenge. “Where do you live?”

  He ran a hand through his enticingly soft hair. “The Harbor Bluff Condo Development. It’s a mile or so from here.”

  “That’s where our bride and groom live.” After Leo moved into Nora’s first-floor unit, they’d invited Patty to a small dinner party. Swank place, great view.

  “That’s right. I’ve seen them around. So you’ll come?”

  As Patty had pointed out to Mike, a detective shouldn’t get personally involved in a case. And being near Alec made her want to brush a stray leaf off his coat, and maybe kiss that wry smile off his mouth. All the more reason to prove to herself that she could handle him just fine.

  “I’ll make a quick assessment of the premises. But you’ll have to wait for my recommendations until we meet with Mike.”

  “I’ll set up an appointment for Monday,” Alec promised. “If we can get started now, though, I’ll feel better.”

  “Meet you there.”

  “Hold on. You’ll need this.” From his car, he produced a parking pass. “Put this on your windshield so you don’t get towed.”

  As he handed Patty the plastic card, the sea breeze enveloped her in his subtle cologne, and she noticed a pulse in his throat, right below the curve of his jaw. She used to enjoy nuzzling him there, especially late in the day when he got a little sandpapery.

  Patty stepped back. “Thanks.”

  He stood there breathing hard, and she wondered what he was thinking. But all he did was nod in acknowledgment and get in his car.

  After starting her engine, Patty called Mike and advised him of her plans. “I’ll take lots of notes.”

  “It concerns his daughter? No wonder he wants a woman involved,” Mike said. “Still, I can tell he’s attracted to you. Make sure he keeps it strictly on the up-and-up.”

  “No problem,” Patty said.

  He grunted. “I don’t suppose we should charge for a preliminary consult like this.”

  “Wouldn’t feel right,” she agreed.

  “Okay. Let me know if he needs us to start before Monday.”

  “Will do.”

  A few minutes later, Patty turned onto Viewpoint Lane and, approaching the condos, began her analysis. The development had limited access in the back, she noted, with bluffs that would be hard to scale. High cement-block walls on either side were also likely to discourage the sort of woman who fussed over her clothes, although Patty didn’t dismiss the possibility of Sabrina hiring someone to do her dirty work.

  Would she really put her daughter at risk in a stranger’s hands? There was no telling. People did stupid and illogical things.

  In the front, a black wrought-iron fence separated the building from the sidewalk. A visitor parking lot, where Patty found a space, was prominently posted with signs about visitors requiring a permit and warning that trespassers would be towed. A remotely operated gate protected the residents’ lot.

  Although the condo building was two stories high, each unit appeared to be confined to a single level. The second floor units were accessed from an open portico.

  There was no guard. In fact, when Patty got out, she discovered that there was no lock on the gate between the visitor parking and the walkway in front of the building.

  Alec emerged from the private lot, striding toward her. “What do you think so far?”

  “Any chance of getting a lock on the front gate?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Mom says there used to be one and residents were always locking themselves out and complaining about missed deliveries. A lot of the time people left it propped open.”

  Patty decided not to press to have one installed. As he’d pointed out, locks were easily circumvented. Anyone determined to enter could simply wait until a resident came along, make up an excuse and slip inside.

  “False sense of security, anyway,” she muttered, and followed him to a recess that held the outdoor staircase. “Elevator?”

  He indicated one half-hidden in a corner, illuminated by a single light. Patty didn’t like the layout of the stairs or the elevator. Despite the presence of a security camera, it would be easy for someone to hide and ambush the nanny or Alec’s mother, or Alec, for that matter. In her notebook, she sketched a diagram of the area.

  “That’s Mom’s unit.” Stepping back from the alcove, Alec pointed to a first-floor condo. “Mine’s above it and over one.”

  “Does Fiona spend much time in the lower unit?”

  He nodded. Another weak point, Patty observed. “How much do you know about this nanny? Who hired her?” If it had been the ex-wife, the woman’s loyalties could be in question.

  “I did, after the split. One of my coworkers recommended her. They loved her, but their kids were getting too old for a nanny. And for the record, she and Sabrina can’t stand each other.”

  “Could be an act.”

  “You don’t know Tatum.”

  Satisfied for the moment, Patty continued asking about the child’s schedule as they reached the second floor, and learned that Fiona hadn’t yet enrolled in a nursery school since moving to California. Instead, the nanny and Grandma read to her and taught her about numbers, colors, shapes and letters during outings and play sessions.

  Talking about his daughter brought a melting warmth to Alec’s face. “She’s so smart. Way ahead of most children her age—but what parent doesn’t say that?” He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t care if she’s brilliant or ordinary by anybody else’s standards. She’s sweet and funny, and she depends on me utterly. If I ever fail her again…” Averting his face, he unlocked his door. A dead bolt, Patty noted approvingly.

  Fatherhood suited Alec, she reflected, feeling a tug deep inside at this evidence of what a caring man he’d become. Maybe it was a good thing they’d split up, because she doubted she had much aptitude for family life, given what lousy role models her parents were. As for her grandpa, his method of child rearing had been to let her make her own choices until, with a few sharp words or a harsh look, he let her know that she’d failed him. Patty wouldn’t care to inflict that approach on a child.

  Alec’s condo had a floor plan similar to Nora’s, Patty soon discovered, with a large living room that opened into the den and a kitchen-dining area. The balcony was high enough above the carport below to pose a challenge to a would-be intruder, but that depended on how much risk someone was willing to run. Because of the staggered architectural design, the neighboring balconies weren’t within easy climbing reach, but again, you never could tell. The heavy sliding glass door fastened securely.

  Patty studied the main room, its walls and trim painted in shades of blue and gray. Unless you counted the fireplace or the skylight, both unlikely entry points, the only access was from the balcony, a couple of windows high enough not to be easily breached and the front door.

  That was how intruders usually got into places like this. Someone inside simply opened the door, or left it unlocked.

  The place had an alarm system, but it wasn’t
on when they arrived. “Ever change the security code in this thing?” she asked.

  Alec shook his head. “My mom owns the place. She used to rent it out. Actually, she still does—to me.”

  “Change it.” Patty jotted a reminder in her notebook, then cast a dubious glance at the delicate, cream-hued furniture. A few picture books and a red-and-white fleece blanket provided the only splashes of color. She felt a twinge of sympathy for Fiona, who probably had to be extra careful to keep her shoes off the couch. “Not exactly kid friendly.”

  “This was Sabrina’s furniture.” Alec ran his hand over a sculpted arm on the sofa. “She insisted on buying it when she was pregnant, then didn’t want it in the divorce because it was damaged.” He indicated a nick in the wood and a small stain on one cushion, which to Patty seemed merely evidence that a child lived here.

  “How’d you ever marry this loser, anyway?” Immediately, she regretted the question. “Sorry. That was inappropriate.”

  He didn’t seem perturbed. “Believe it or not, we had a lot of fun in the beginning.”

  Enough to produce a child, obviously. “Was she ever violent?”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Did she ever lose her temper and throw things at you? Threaten you with a knife? Slap Fiona?”

  His face registered shock. “Nothing like that.”

  “Any reason to think she might turn violent now?” Custody cases could bring out the worst in people.

  He thought for a moment. “I’ve never considered Sabrina physically dangerous, but she’s impulsive and she can get hysterical. I suppose she could overreact.”

  Patty was glad he didn’t dismiss the idea out of hand. “What about this boyfriend?”

  “I’ve never met him.” Alec moved past her to the kitchen. “Care for anything to drink?”

  She’d love a beer and popcorn, and to stretch out on the sofa next to Alec and watch whatever was on TV while they added a few more smudges to the upholstery. But this wasn’t a social visit. “No, thanks. Got a picture of the ex?”

  “In Fiona’s room.” He checked his watch. “I can’t believe it’s after seven already.”